PA Rep. Barletta says Latinos are lazy and uneducated

Anyone who believes that they’re going to win over the Latino vote is grossly mistaken,” Barletta said. “The majority that are here illegally are low-skilled or may not even have a high school diploma. The Republican Party is not going to compete over who can give more social programs out. They will become Democrats because of the social programs they’ll depend on.”

4. Here's an interesting take on Barletta's comments:

“I hope politics is not at the root of why we’re rushing to pass a bill. Anyone who believes that they’re going to win over the Latino vote is grossly mistaken,” Barletta said. “The majority that are here illegally are low-skilled or may not even have a high school diploma. The Republican Party is not going to compete over who can give more social programs out. They will become Democrats because of the social programs they’ll depend on.”

"As someone of Italian heritage myself, I find this "we only should accept skilled, educated immigrants" coming from another Italian American hilarious. The fact is, the vast majority of the millions of Italians who immigrated to the US from the late-nineteenth century through the 1920s didn't have the equivalent of a high school diploma. (My own grandmother never achieved higher than a 3rd grade education, and I believe she had more education than my grandfather.) Many Italians were illiterate. Many were unskilled peasants or low-skilled laborers. And if the United States had barred "low-skilled" non-high school graduates when Italians were pouring wave after wave into Ellis Island, it's likely that neither Barletta, Antonin Scalia or Rick Santorum would call themselves Americans today."

Everyone in this country, unless we are Native Americans, is essentially an immigrant in background. I dare say that my great-grandparents, who came here from Sweden, were not educated and did not have diplomas. The same holds true for Barletta. Who the hell does he think he is?

5. Lou Barletta was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth.

His grandfather, the Italian immigrant, started his own road construction company and his sons worked for his company. They all worked like mules and the company became very successful. Lou is the grandson of the patriarch so hard work was not part of his or the other grand-children's repertoire. When they took over the company it nearly went out of business. It was bought out by a larger construction company and no longer exists.

It's ironic that Lou criticizes others for their lack of education. He's not the smartest pencil in the cup but he has the right connections. He used the influx of immigrants to Hazleton and the rising crime rate to get him to the House. The Republican district gerrymandering scheme will keep him there.